In September 2024, SAP customer and German energy supplier badenova embarked on a transformative journey to streamline its work order coordination processes. To better manage the persistent operational challenges around customer requests, its subsidiary badenovaNETZE joined the SAP Fiori Makers program for an intensive, hands-on boot camp in Freiburg, Germany.
The boot camp focused on addressing and analyzing the real challenges faced by the company’s work order coordinators to optimize their daily work experience and routines.
The challenge: A fragmented, manual process
Before the boot camp, badenovaNETZE’s work order coordination was a fragmented mix of tools and processes. Coordinators were juggling SAP software, custom programs from SmartService Solutions, and basic applications like Word and Excel to complete their tasks. The status quo resulted in a couple of challenges to address and optimize:
- Improve user experience: The existing interface was difficult to navigate, leading to user frustration and reduced productivity.
- Avoid manual processes: Coordinators had to both transfer information across multiple systems and update data manually, making routine tasks time-consuming and prone to errors.
- Reduce error rate: The repetitive, manual tasks increased the risk of data entry errors, causing delays and additional workload.
- Increase transparency: With limited visibility into work order statuses, coordinators spent a lot of time tracking down information and monitoring progress.
The solution: A hands-on transformation
The company participated in a four-day SAP Fiori Makers boot camp, bringing together customer end users, IT teams, and partners. The focus of the boot camp was to improve the usability of the work order cockpit by transitioning from manual tasks and workarounds to an SAP app prototype as a tangible starting point. It aimed at implementing process automation, incorporating dashboards, enhancing the user experience, and reducing error rates.
The boot camp provided badenovaNETZE with the tools and an open, agile workshop format needed to tackle these challenges. Based on this close collaboration with the company’s coordinators, the SAP team developed customized solutions that streamlined processes and the final outcome. “The beauty of our boot camps is that we get to know and truly understand the challenges of our end users,” SAP UX Designer Christina Salwitzek summarizes. “Together with the end user and from the beginning, we designed and developed a more efficient solution for this complex workflow.”
The objectives
badenovaNETZE faces operational challenges when managing numerous customer requests in metering, including meter replacement, installation, and removal. Together, the teams set ambitious yet achievable objectives to ensure long-term success. Operational readiness by 2025 was the top priority, with a clear goal of transitioning to an optimized, future-proof system in the first half of the new year.
To support this transition, the boot camp helped increase SAP technology knowledge and development skills within the badenovaNETZE team. The team is now prepared to maintain, adapt, and expand the new solution as their needs evolve. “What surprised me the most is that we actually made such good progress together and that everybody was able to contribute something,” says Paulina Deren, order coordination advisor at badenovaNETZE.
Finally, the team established a prioritized road map—a clear, phased approach designed to guide the customer through each stage of the transformation, enabling a smooth journey from concept to realization. The SAP Fiori Makers team included three UX designers, an SAP Fiori elements front-end developer who brought the visual designs to life, and a backend developer specializing in the SAP Cloud Application Programming Model framework to help ensure robust, scalable functionality. The team was guided by Andreas Spahn, principal technology & innovation manager from the SAP Services team, who moderated the boot camp and facilitated collaboration. “What makes SAP Fiori Makers so special is that we have one problem statement and we have one team to analyze today’s problem with the end user and solve it,” he says. “This involves experts from technology, design, and development.”
The experience
A core element was the creation of a user-centric and future-focused design for a new work order cockpit. The team used design thinking techniques in combination with the capabilities of SAP Fiori, SAP Fiori elements, and SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) to get started. Being one of Germany’s largest regional suppliers of electricity, natural gas, heat energy, and water, badenova already used SAP BTP for integration scenarios and started using it for application development with this project.
For its intuitive, streamlined interface, the team conducted a thorough feasibility assessment to validate the proposed solution’s technical and operational viability. They then rapidly co-created and prototyped solutions in close collaboration with actual users.
The derived prototype not only simplified complex workflows but also significantly reduced manual tasks, minimized errors, and eliminated data silos. By centralizing all relevant information into a unified system, the team delivered a seamless user experience, initiating the groundwork necessary for full deployment.
The result garnered positive feedback from participants, reflecting the practicality and innovation of the solution. “Most impressive to me was the headway made,” Daniel Oberle, business architect at badenovaNETZE, says. “Without the SAP Fiori Makers boot camp, we would be looking at another half a year to get to where we are just now.”
Real user feedback
To ensure the solution truly resonated with its users, the team conducted three on-site, moderated usability tests using a Figma prototype. Each session included two notetakers capturing live feedback directly within Figma, allowing for immediate insights and adjustments. The initial user stories were visualized using SAP’s Scenes storytelling tool, which enabled the team to quickly create collaborative, visual narratives without the need for drawing skills. These early concepts were then refined with SAP Fiori design stencils in Figma, streamlining the transition from rough ideas to polished prototypes.
The involvement of SAP users during the boot camp was instrumental, providing real-time evaluation through cognitive walkthroughs. “If the user experience fits, employees are happy and enjoy using the software,” Teresa Mayer, UX designer at SAP, says. This hands-on, iterative process helped ensure the final design aligned closely with user expectations and needs.
This example underscores the critical role user research plays in driving successful, error-free, and beneficial product development. To strengthen its user feedback approach even further, SAP introduced the SAP User Research Panel program. This initiative invites users to participate in remote research activities, allowing SAP’s product teams to get feedback along the product life cycle. Users can share their product and design experiences to help shape SAP products to better align with their needs while also getting a preview of new features or products.
Conclusion
The SAP Fiori Makers boot camp proved to be a pivotal step in badenovaNETZE’s digital transformation journey. By combining cutting-edge SAP technologies with a user-centric design approach, the team not only tackled complex operational challenges but also delivered a solution that significantly enhances efficiency and user satisfaction. The rapid progress made during the boot camp—cutting down development time by six months and projecting savings of 115 working days per year—underscores the power of collaboration and innovation.
With the project already underway and goals for 2025 set, badenovaNETZE is well-positioned to continue refining and optimizing processes with an even more engaged and satisfied workforce.
Make your voice heard by joining the SAP User Research Panel initiative. Registration is easy and taking part in research studies is convenient. To learn more about the SAP Fiori Makers boot camp, which includes a workshop following the design-led development process, visit our web page.
This story originally appeared on SAPinsider with the support of Suparna Chawla.
Tobias Essig is a user research advocate for SAP Design.
